Newburgh officials to reserve action on cops in Lembhard killing

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Mayor Judy Kennedy told a community forum Thursday night that she and the City Council will await an Orange County grand jury's verdict before deciding whether to consider any disciplinary action of their own in the police-involved shooting death of Michael Lembhard.

CITY OF NEWBURGH — Mayor Judy Kennedy told a community forum Thursday night that she and the City Council will await an Orange County grand jury's verdict before deciding whether to consider any disciplinary action of their own in the police-involved shooting death of Michael Lembhard.

The mayor's remarks came in response to the question of whether the council couldn't simply fire the officers involved.

The question was posed first in a sign held up outside the forum at the House of Refuge on Broadway, and later verbally during the forum.

"We have to follow due process," Kennedy said. The officers are members of a union and have certain rights.

"Everybody is committed to due process," Kennedy said. "Let us work our way through these steps."

Gov. Andrew Cuomo earlier this week denied the council's request for a special prosecutor in the case, saying he could not grant the request because Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips is continuing to investigate. Phillips has promised to present the case to a grand jury as soon as all the medical reports are completed.

Lembhard, 22, was shot and killed March 7 as city police were trying to take him into custody on a warrant for menacing. Police said he was shot after he lunged at officers with a knife.

The forum was called and hosted by the Christian Ministerial Fellowship, the Newburgh/Highland Falls chapter of the NAACP and the city's Human Rights Commission.

Benilda Armstead-Jones, chairwoman of the latter group, promised before the forum began that, "We are going to be relentless in finding out what happened (to Lembhard), so that it never happens again. Too many young people are being lost."

Bishop Jeffrey Woody, pastor of the House of Refuge, cautioned against turning to violence as a way of getting justice for Lembhard.

"We are looking for the nonviolent way to have justice done," Woody told more than 100 people attending the forum. "Any violent act can work against what the (Lembhard) family is looking for."